Hair covering cap



March 1, 1966 GETTINGER HAIR COVERING CAP Filed April '7, 1965 INVENTOR Lillian A Get! Inger United States Patent O 3,237,209 HAIR COVERING CAP Lillian L. Gettinger, 2509 Shelley Dale Drive, Baltimore, Md. Filed Apr. 7, 1965, Ser. No. 446,145 3 Claims. (Cl. 2--174) This invention relates to caps, and more particularly it relates to a hair covering cap adapted to be worn by a woman for protecting her coitfure.

In the past, various forms of coilfure protectors have been proposed, with such protectors being particularly useful for protecting a coilfure during sleep, to prevent the same from becoming disarranged due to contact with the pillow. For the most part, such prior art proposals took the form of hair nets, hoods, or the like, which could be applied of the wearers hair for use during sleep. However, it was found that such head coverings did not completely protect the hair, and in fact, in the case of highly contoured hairdos, such coverings often tended to crush the hair and thereby ruin the appearance of the coiffure. Additionally, there was the possibility that the covering would sometimes be Worn directly over a styled coifiure, while in other instances, the covering would be worn over hair curlers or rollers. Most prior art forms of hair coverings were not adaptable for use in both conditions, and thus, a wearer had to utilize one form of covering when the hair was set in rollers or curlers, and another form of covering when the hair was styled in a contoured coiffure. Another important consideration with hair coverings, particularly those which are to be worn over curlers or rollers, is the protection afforded by the covering. That is, when the hair is set, either by rollers or curlers, or by pin-curls, there are often sharp projecting portions of the pins, curlers and the like, which extend outwardly beyond the wearers hair contour. Prior art forms of head coverings were not concerned with these projecting elements, and consequently, such sharp protuberances often projected through the covering itself, thereby creating a dangerous and uncomfortable condition, and furthermore, tending to tear or rip the covering itself during application and removal thereof.

Still another consideration with respect to prior art forms of hair coverings was the fact that such coverings were generally formed and fabricated exclusively of a fine mesh or chiffon material. Thus, although such coverings could overlie the hair, they really had no rigidity or body thereto, and thus tended to conform to the contour of the hair therebeneath. Thus, if the wearers hair were to brush against some foreign object, the pressure or impact created thereby would be transmitted directly to the wearers hair, and could often tend to mess the same, even through the hair covering. Also, such flimsy prior art type of hair coverings were not self-supporting and did not tend to maintain their shape. Thus, after continued usage, such hair coverings often became stretched, distorted and otherwise misshapen.

In addition to all of the foregoing factors, associated with prior art forms of hair coverings, it is apparent and well-known that the very manner of most prior'art forms of hair coverings made them unsatisfactory. For example, certain types of such hair coverings had elongated ties which had to be wrapped around the wearers hair or around her chin, and such hair covering were thus not only difiicult to manipulate and apply, but additionally, were unattractive and uncomfortable in appearance. Other forms of hair coverings were made in the form of large mesh nets, which were inexpensively manufactured, and which generally tore apart after a few uses. Still other forms of hair coverings had to be ap- 3,237,209 Patented Mar. 1, 1966 ice plied like a turban above the wearers hair, and these coverings were not only difficult to apply, but generally crushed the hairdo and made the same more unsightly than it would have been even if no hair covering had been utilized.

With the foregoing matter firmly in mind, it is, therefore, an object of the present invention to overcome the difficulties, the deficiencies and shortcomings associated with prior art forms of hair coverings, and to provide in their stead, an improved hair covering cap.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hair covering cap having a reinforced portion which gives the cap strength and rigidity and enables the same to properly maintain its shape.

Further objects of the present invention include the provision of a hair covering cap which: (a) can be quickly and easily applied; (b) can be worn over a wearers coiffure whether or not rollers, pins, and the like are utilized; (c) can be inexpensively manufactured, yet which is durable and thus capable of extended use without tearing or otherwise deforming; (d) serves a protective covering which prevents a wearers coiffure from being inadvertently messed; (e) prevents sharp protuberances from bobby-pins, hair-clips and the like, from projecting outwardly in a dangerous manner; (f) maintains its generally symmetrical appearance and shape throughout its use; and (g) forms a highly attractive item which can be worn as a sleep cap by night, and as a hair covering cap during the day.

Other objects, advantages and salient features of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a hair covering cap in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the cap shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a typical sheet of material used in fabricating one of the sections of the cap disclosed herein.

In general, the present invention resides in a hair covering cap generally designated 10 formed of a plurality of interconnected sections generally designated 12 and having a resilient means generally designated 14 extending along its lower edge.

Each section 12 is formed by superposed upper and lower sheets of open mesh material, such as tulle, chiffon or the like. A typical sheet is shown in FIGURE 4 and is designated 16, and it will be seen that such a sheet is generally wedge shaped in configuration. As shown in FIGURE 1, four sections 12 are utilized to form the cap 10, and accordingly, to construct a cap of this particular type, each sheet 16 is formed generally as a quadrant of a circle. However, it will, of course, be understood that the present invention is not necessarily limited to a cap formed of four sections 12, but rather, any suitable number of sections 12 can be utilized. Naturally, if the number of sections 12 is changed, the size of the sheets 16 will also be changed, but such sheets will still maintain their generally wedge shaped configuration. On the sheet 16, the outer edge thereof, designated 18, is formed in a arcuate manner, preferably as the arc of a circle. A pair of side edges 20, 20 extend from the ends of the arcuate edge 18, and converge symmetrically toward one another to merge together at a central point 22.

In forming the cap 10, a pair of sheets 16 are utilized foreach section 12, and as shown in FIGURE 3, the uppermost sheet is designated 16a While the lowermost congruent sheet is designated 1617. To create the cap 10, the various sections 12 are juxtaposed to one another, with their central points 22 merging together in the manner shown in FIGURE 1, and thereafter, the side edges 20 of the upper and lower sheets of one section are sewn or stitched to the side edges 20 of the upper and lower sheets of the next adjacent section 12, thus interconnecting and assembling the various sections 12 in the manner shown in FIGURE 1. For purposes of appearance, the stitching at the side edges 20 can be displaced slightly from the actual edge itself, thus leaving a small margin of material which can form a decorative ruffle 24.

It will be appreciated that, at this particular point in the construction of the cap 10, the outer edges 18 on the upper and lower sheets 16 in any particular section 12, are not secured together. Thus, between each upper sheet 16:: and lower sheet 16b, a pocket is formed, and access to this pocket is available between the upper and lower sheet outer edges 18; A reinforcing means generally designated 26 is inserted into each such pocket, with the reinforcing means generally being a pad of mesh material, such as the same material from which the cap itself is manufactured. This pad which forms the reinforcing means can be formed of various scraps of excess material which are collected during formation of various caps 10, and thus the manufacturer of such a cap is assured that virtually no material will be wasted. Each pad or reinforcing means is pushed inwardly toward the central point 22, and the size of such a pad is somewhat less than the size of any sheet 16. Then, each of the cap sections 12 is folded along a fold line 28 disposed between the central point 22 and the outer edge 18 of each particular section. The fold line 28 is formed beyond the terminus of the reinforcing means 26, and since both the upper sheet 16a and the lower sheet 161; are folded along this line, the pocket in which the reinforcing means 26 'is disposed becomes eflfectively closed. As can be seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, the fold line for each section 12 is substantially coextensive with the fold line 28 for the adjacent sections 12, and thus the fold line 28 serves to separate the cap into two distinct portions; namely, a crown portion generally designated 30 and forming the top of the cap 10, and a downwardly and inwardly extending skirt portion generally designated 32 forming the sides of the cap 10.

After the various sections 12 have been folded along their fold line 28 to thus form the crown portion 30 and the skirt portion 32, the outer edges 18 of the upper sheets 16a and lower sheets 1617 are stitched together. Such stitching operation also includes a shirring operation to form a plurality of upwardly extending pleats 34 in each skirt portion 32. As shown in FIGURE 2, such pleats 34 in no event extend beyond the fold line 28,

and preferably, terminate somewhat short thereof. Although, as previously described, each of the outer edges 18 is generally arcuate in shape when initially formed, the shirring operation tends to substantially eliminate such curvature, and thus, the various outer edges 18 serve to define or circumscribe an opening into which the wearers head extends, when the cap is applied. Finally, the resilient means 14 is stitched about this opening, with such resilient means preferably being an elastic band 36.

It will be appreciated that a cap 10 formed in the manner described hereinabove has certain distinct advantages. For example, such a cap can be packaged to be sold in a substantially flat condition, with the skirt 32 being fully folded under the crown portion 30. Also,

when the cap is desired to be worn, the same may be applied over the wearers head merely by stretching the elastic band 36 to slightly enlarge the head receiving opening. When the cap is thus applied over the wearers head, the elastic band serves to resiliently constrict the edges of the head receiving openingalong the wearers forehead and the nape of her neck, thus serving to snugly secure the cap upon the wearers head. The reinforcing means 36 serves to assure that the cap will not lose its attractive symmetrical appearance, and will not become misshapen or distorted even after continued usage. Also, the reinforcing means not only provides a cushioning effect upon the wearers head, and a strengthening effect upon the crown portion of the cap, but furthermore, it serves to assure that the sharp ends of bobbypins, hair-clips and the like cannot project therethrough. After reading the foregoing detailed description, it will be apparent that the objects set forth at the outset of the specification have been successfully achieved by the present invention. Accordingly, what is claimed is:

1. A hair covering cap comprising: a plurality of interconnected sections adapted to overlie a wearers hair; resilient means extending along the lower edge of said interconnected sections and adapted to engage a wearers head to retain said cap thereon in hair covering relationship; I each of said sections including superposed upper and lower sheets of open mesh material; said upper and lower sheets each being generally wedge shaped and thus having an outer edge with a pair of side edges converging toward one another from the ends of said outer edge and merging together at a central point; said upper and lower sheets being folded downwardly along a line between said center point and said outer edge, with that portion between said central point and said fold line defining a crown portion and that portion between said fold line and said outer edge defining a skirt portion; and l reinforcing means interposed between said upper and lower sheets in the crown portion of each of said sections; said outer edges of each of said sections being shirred to form upwardly extending pleats in each of said skirt portions; each of said side edges in any one section being secured to side edges of adjacent sections, thereby assuring that all of said sections are interconnected to form a cap; said resilient means being formed as an elastic band extending along said outer edges and hence along the lower edge of said interconnected skirt portions to provide means for engaging said cap on a wearers head. i 2. A hair covering cap as defined in claim 1 wherein said reinforcing means is a pad of mesh material.

3. A hair covering cap as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said sections is a quadrant.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 795,545 7/ 1905 Rosenfeld 2198 1,300,644 4/1919 Phillips 2-192 1,781,196 11/1930 Rosenberg 2-201 X 1,957,206 5/1934 Goldstein 2-201 2,493,363 1/1950 Sapp 2174 XR 2,783,806 3/ 1957 Andreadis 2-174 ROBERT V. SLOAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A HAIR COVERING CAP COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF INTERCONNECTED SECTIONS ADAPTED TO OVERLIE A WEARER''S HAIR; RESILIENT MEANS EXTENDING ALONG THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID INTERCONNECTED SECTIONS AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE A WEARER''S HEAD TO RETAIN SAID CAP THEREON IN HAIR COVERING RELATIONSHIP; EACH OF SAID SECTIONS INCLUDING SUPERPOSED UPPER AND LOWER SHEETS OF OPEN MESH MATERIAL; SAID UPPER AND LOWER SHEETS EACH BEING GENERALLY WEDGE SHAPED AND THUS HAVING AN OUTER EDGE WITH A PAIR OF SIDE EDGES CONVERGING TOWARD ONE ANOTHER FROM THE ENDS OF SAID OUTER EDGE AND MERGING TOGETHER AT A CENTRAL POINT; SAID UPPER AND LOWER SHEETS BEING FOLDED DOWNWARDLY ALONG A LINE BETWEEN SAID CENTER POINT AND SAID OUTER EDGE, WITH THAT PORTION BETWEEN SAID CENTRAL POINT AND SAID FOLD LINE DEFINING A CROWN PORTION AND THAT PORTION BETWEEN SAID FOLD LINE AND SAID OUTER EDGE DEFINING A SKIRT PORTION; AND REINFORCING MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID UPPER AND LOWER SHEETS IN THE CROWN PORTION OF EACH OF SAID SECTIONS; SAID OUTER EDGES OF EACH OF SAID SECTIONS BEING SHIRRED TO FORM UPWARDLY EXTENDING PLEATS IN EACH OF SAID SKIRT PORTIONS; EACH OF SAID SIDE EDGES IN ANY SECTION BEING SECURED TO SIDE EDGES OF ADJACENT SECTIONS, THEREBY ASSURING THAT ALL OF SAID SECTIONS ARE INTERCONNECTED TO FORM A CAP; SAID RESILIENT MEANS BEING FORMED AS AN ELASTIC BAND EXTENDING ALONG SAID OUTER EDGES AND HENCE ALONG THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID INTERCONNECTED SKIRT PORTIONS TO PROVIDE MEANS FOR ENGAGING SAID CAP ON A WEARER''S HEAD. 